This invention relates to the field of liquid transfer and processing systems, and more particularly to liquid transfer and processing systems used for chemistry analysis, including chemistry analysis in the field of hematology.
In hematology and other fields of chemistry analysis, a chemical in the form of a liquid reagent often needs to be delivered to several consuming stations. For example, in the field of hematology, a reagent in the form of a dilution liquid often needs to be simultaneously delivered to a complete blood cell counting mixing chamber, a differential white cell count mixing chamber, and a reticulocyte count mixing chamber. At other times, several different liquid reagents may need to be delivered to a single consuming station. For example, in the field of hematology, lyse and stabilyse are delivered to a single white cell differential count mixing chamber to break down the red blood cells. After the liquid reagents are delivered, a cleaning liquid may be delivered through the system and to the consuming stations to cleanse the system for a new analysis.
In most existing liquid reagent transfer systems, each different liquid reagent has its own transfer system used to distribute the liquid reagent. When multiple reagents are used, multiple reagent transfer systems must be used to deliver the reagents from location to location. Multiple reagent transfer systems result in increase system costs to the user. In addition, the numerous reagent transfer systems consume a great deal of valuable laboratory space. In addition, these systems are inefficient in terms of reagent consumption, as reagents remain in each of the multiple transfer systems following a laboratory run, and the left over reagents must be cleansed from each of the multiple systems. Over time, the volume of reagents cleansed from multiple systems becomes substantial, resulting in a significant waste of resources and significant costs to the user in terms of wasted reagents. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an efficient liquid chemical transfer and processing system capable of transferring multiple liquids from multiple locations and delivering such liquids and/or liquid combinations to multiple locations.
In many prior art liquid transfer systems, a pick-up assembly is attached to each reagent container. The pick-up assemblies are designed to remove reagents from the containers and deliver them to transfer tubes, which distribute the reagents throughout the system. Unfortunately, these pick-up assemblies often cause contamination of the reagent going into the system. Pick-up assemblies that have surfaces extending in the reagent are particularly susceptible to this problem. However, nearly all pick-up assemblies are susceptible to the problem of introducing small air bubbles into the system (i.e., “micro gas bubbles”) when little reagent remains in the container. The introduction of micro gas bubbles into the system often results in false readings from system measuring instruments. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a liquid transferring system capable of reducing the amount of micro gas bubbles introduced into the system and/or eliminating micro gas bubbles from liquids before such liquids are subjected to measuring instruments of the system.
Another problem with many prior art liquid transfer and processing systems is that laboratory runs must be temporarily stopped when a volume of reagent is consumed from the container holding the reagent. In particular, when a reagent container is emptied, the laboratory run must be temporarily stopped to allow a full reagent container to be connected to the system. These delays in laboratory testing waste valuable time and resources. Accordingly, it would be further advantageous to provide a system capable of continuously supplying a liquid reagent to one or more consuming stations, in order for a laboratory process to continue for as long as needed without the need for temporary delays in the laboratory run to replace spent reagent containers.